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John,

A view of Game Tree Farm from Ross's Siege Views

A highly imaginative portrayal of Game Tree Farm from Battles of the 19th Century

Thanks for the wonderful photo and illustration. The photo is so much clearer and better than the one I had from the AWM. It puts it into perspective how difficult it would be to carry the position. I presume that the timbers around the base of the sandbags, and presumably in the interior of the fort, were once walls and perhaps a roof and what the men were shooting through during the battle. Thank you very much again. I look forward to your next book on Mafeking being published!

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

[ BSACM Matabeleland 1893 (1) Rhodesia 1896 ]
QSA (2) Defence of Mafeking, Transvaal (151 Tpr: C. Bushnell. Protect: Regt. F.F.)

Noonan's state that he 'served with Mitchell’s Mounted Rifles' but I have never heard of that unit. I think they have mistaken 'Mitchell's M. R.' ie medal roll, in Walker's book, for an actual unit.

Born c 1866. Enlisted in the Bechuanaland Border Police (2103 Lance Corporal). Served in the Matabele War 1893. Enlisted in the Mashonaland Mounted Police, Belingwe Column (132 Trooper A Troop). Served in the Matabele Rebellion, 1896. Discharged in Bulawayo, 30 September 1896. BSACM Matabeleland 1893 (1) Rhodesia 1896. Enlisted in the PRFF 23 August 1899, and posted to D Squadron. Aged 33. Nationality: Colonial. Trade: Butcher. NOK: Mother, East London. Absent in town without leave, 17 December 1899. Fined 10s. Discharged 16 October 1900. Character very good. There is a death notice for a man called John Charles Bushnell, born c 1867 who died 16 February 1913 in East London. He was single, born in Cape Province and resided at 11a Fitzpatrick Road, East London. Trade: Tally clerk.

The Mafeking medal to Trooper Bushnell received no correction to the erroneous description and sold for a hammer price of GBP 1,576. Total GBP 2,030. R 46,710. AUD 3,790. NZD 4,090. CAD 3,370. USD 2,490. EUR 2,280

Picture courtesy of eBay

MC GV;
CGHGSM (1) Bechanaland (Pte B T Ward Kimberley Rifles);
QSA (1) Defence of Mafeking (225 Tpr B T Ward Prot Rgt);
1914/15 Star (Capt B T Ward R Suss R);
BWM and VM with MID (Major B T Ward)

Bertrand Thomas Ward served with the Kimberley Rifles in the Bechuanaland Campaign of 1896-7 and then with D Squadron of the Protectorate Regiment at the siege of Mafeking October 1899 - May 1900. In the Great War he served on the Western Front as a Captain with the Royal Sussex Regiment from August 1915, was Mentioned in Dispatches (LG 13/6/16) and latterly served as a Major with the 19th London Regiment (St Pancras) with whom he was awarded the Military Cross (LG 1/1/19)